So, the topic or the title of this message is dealing with self-righteous people.
Anyone that's been soul winning any matter of time knows as we go out, we come across
many self-righteous people, people that aren't saved and even worse, they think they're
saved.
They're very religious most of the time, but they're trusting in something that's
going to keep them from being saved.
They're trusting in works that's going to eventually lead them to dine in their sins
and go into hell because they won't come to the knowledge that Jesus is the Savior
and Jesus is the only way and they're going to try and get into heaven some other way.
John 10, 1 says, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that inearteth not by the door into
the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber.
How are they going to do this?
Jesus plus something, we've all heard it.
Jesus plus my religion, Jesus plus good works, they're either going to add it in the front
of salvation, they're going to add it at the end of salvation or if they don't keep it,
they're going to lose it or they have to live this righteous life the whole way through
or they won't get in.
Here in Mark 10, we have Jesus soul winning with the rich young ruler and we know this
guy claims to be righteous, claims to be a good person that he believes he's going
to get in by doing good things, but let's look at what Jesus says about him.
Jesus' soul wins with him here, has a conversation with him and Jesus shows us how to deal with
someone like this.
So, Mark 10, verse 17, and when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running
and kneeled to him and asked him, good master, what shall I do that I may inherit internal
life?
And Jesus saith unto him, why callest thou me good?
There's none good but one that is God.
So, right out of the gate, Jesus is trying to teach this man that there's no one on this
earth that's good except God.
I mean, the Bible says that there's not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and
sineth not.
But this guy is coming to Jesus.
He doesn't believe Jesus is God.
He just believes he's a good rabbi, a good teacher.
So, how does Jesus deal with this man and show him that he's not as good as he thinks he is?
So, number one, first thing we want to take away from it is Jesus uses the commandments to expose
his sin.
Look at verse 19.
Thou knowest the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear
false witness, do fraud not, honor thy father and thy mother.
Did Jesus list the commandments on how we deal with men, how we interact with men on this
earth?
But look at this guy's answer.
The guy's answer is he says, he answers and says unto him, master, all these I've observed
from my youth.
Now, if anyone could have told this guy you're lying, it could have been Jesus.
Jesus could see right through him.
Jesus could have told him he was a liar.
And that's what we tend to want to do when we're out soul winning.
When we hear something like that, you go, you know, you're lying.
Jesus doesn't handle this guy that way.
And that's, like I said, that's what we would do.
But look how he handles it.
Jesus uses the law.
And we need to use the law.
We need to show them, because the law is our schoolmaster, is it not?
Galatians 3.24 says the law brings us to Christ.
And when you're dealing with a righteous person, you know, they think they're doing good.
They're a person that goes to work.
They may be, they're with their family or, you know, they're not doing things that they
would consider bad, they consider themselves good, right?
So, you need to show them the law will condemn them.
So, number two, though, Jesus loved the one who was wrong.
Jesus loved the one who was wrong.
Look at verse 21.
Then Jesus, beholding him, look at this, loved him and said unto him,
one thing thou lackest, go thy way whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor,
and thou shall have treasure in heaven and come take up the cross and follow me.
So, is Jesus saying to this guy and to us that we got to sell our stuff to be saved?
No, that's not what he's saying.
What Jesus is doing, he's using the commandments to show this guy, you know what?
You love money.
You love your money more than you love God.
You're trusting in your wealth, not in Jesus.
Pursue whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offended at one point is guilty of all.
Did Jesus say, if you're going to keep this law, because technically,
if you could keep the law, you could walk into heaven.
If you could, but Jesus is saying, if you're going to keep one,
because this guy's pointing out certain things, well, I've done all that.
And even though we know he's lying, but he believes he'd done all that.
So, if you're going to keep that, you've got to keep all of it,
because then you'll be under the curse of the law, if not.
But number three this morning, you know, with all this, Jesus was okay with this guy walking away.
Look at verse 22, and he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved,
for he had great possessions.
See, what we don't see Jesus doing, we don't see him forcing the issue here.
You know, because today when we go out, not everyone's going to want to talk to you,
not everyone's going to want to receive the gift of eternal life, but Jesus was okay with it.
Look at verse 23, and Jesus looked round about and saith unto his disciples,
how hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.
And the disciples were astonished at his words, but Jesus answered again and saith unto them,
children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches?
The guy was trusted in his riches.
To enter into the kingdom of God is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves,
who then can be saved?
And Jesus looking upon them, saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God.
With God, all things are possible.
God would save anyone who's willing to be saved, true?
Anyone you go out there and they're willing to listen to you, God's willing today to save them.
But, you know, they have to choose it.
They have to choose it.
And so many times I think as independent fundamental Baptist,
I mean, I've seen literally people, not here, but other places I saw when,
that they're shutting the door.
You could tell they're not interested.
And they're literally like throwing the invitation into the house, through the door.
It's like, clearly they don't want to talk to you.
They're not ready to receive this message that you're bringing to them.
And they have to receive it as a gift.
And we preach that here.
It's a gift.
And if you don't want to take the gift, you can't force someone to take the gift.
You have to receive it on God's term, that it's free.
So as we go out and we run into these self-righteous people, you know, the Catholic,
the person who was raised Catholic their whole life, someone like that,
do you realize when you come to the door, they've been raised that way their whole life.
And now you're going to show them something that goes totally contrary to what grandmothers
believed, what grandfather believed.
And they're not always going to receive that that well, right?
So Jesus was with this guy.
This guy came to him asking him that question.
Jesus just didn't cut him up.
Jesus could have.
And there's a lot of people in this room that have a lot of Bible knowledge.
You could cut someone up.
You could show that they're wrong.
It's not just about showing them wrong to show that you're right.
It's showing them they're wrong so they'll come to repentance, to change what they believe.
Because if they don't change what they believe, either they were already saved when you showed
up, right?
Or they didn't get saved.
Because I've given the gospel to people then at the very end, they go, you know, kind of
like, that's nice, but I'm still going to, you know, be a Catholic.
You know, they didn't get it or they weren't listening, one of the two.
There has to be that change.
So number one, Jesus used the commandments to expose his sin.
We need to do that.
We need to show them that they have sinned and they need a Savior.
And that Savior's name is Jesus, by the way, because there's no other name in our heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved.
Number two, Jesus loved the one who was wrong.
I mean, most people you talk to today, they're going to be wrong, right?
They're going to be wrong.
They're going to be, somewhere there's going to be truth in what they say, but somewhere
if you dig, and that's why you got to ask the right questions, they're going to tell
you, and you need to be listening, they're going to tell you that they're trusting in
something other than the blood.
They're going to tell you they're trusting in something other than Jesus paying all that
sin debt, and not only that, giving them his righteousness.
You need to emphasize that because a lot of people know about Jesus dying on the cross
and all that, but when a pastor went to that doctrinal series and he's talking about Jesus
not only gave and paid the sin debt, he took, I mean, he came down here and lived the life
that we could not live, and he gave that to us and clothed us with that.
And a lot of people don't know that.
They don't understand that part of it.
They need to explain that.
You need to love them.
You need to be patient with them.
You need to help them see the truth about themselves, which isn't always a pleasant
thing.
And number three, that Jesus was okay with this guy walking away, and we need to be okay
with that as well.
I mean, do not force the gospel on someone who does not want to hear it.
I mean, they're not ready.
Allow God to work on the other side, to work in their life, to bring them, you know, maybe
break that hard heart up a little bit, to bring them to a point that next time we come through,
or maybe another believer, someone out there, God will send someone else, and maybe then
they'll be ready to receive it.
But we don't want to mess that up.
We don't want to be a jerk.
We don't want to be bitter to them.
Pastor was on Wednesday night, if you were here, he was talking about a lie, how he's
self-righteous, kind of full of himself, very brash, rude guy.
We don't want to be that guy.
We want to leave, let our speech, you know, be always with grace, talked about.
Season with salt that it tastes good.
Maybe it has, you know, a good flavor.
Your words are palatable to someone at the door.
Leave them with a good flavor if they're not ready to be saved.
So that eventually, maybe they do take the invitation.
Maybe they'll see it.
God will work.
Give God a chance to work because most people aren't going to get it the first time.
Be ready for it, especially with someone who's self-righteous.
I mean, look, this guy was rich.
He had it all.
But when Jesus put his finger on his one sin that he loved his money more than God, he
was like, I don't want to have anything to do with that Christianity.
Right?
Let's pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, Father, thank you once again for allowing us to serve you, Lord,
to be partakers and other men's salvation.
I pray you be with us, that we go out on love on people, preach Christ crucified, Lord,
and preach the gospel.
And just love on people, and I pray you keep us safe and be with us.
And may many people come to church tomorrow to hear your word prayed.
In Jesus' name, we ask all these things.
Amen.